Prakarn Power - Homeless Samut Prakan FC is looking for a new "Fortress"

Prakarn Power - Homeless Samut Prakan FC is looking for a new "Fortress"Submitted by lokomotive on Tuesday, August 24 2010

In terms of their fan base, Samut Prakan FC can be considered as one of the biggest clubs in the Regional League Division 2. Originally, the club was founded in 2004, under the roof of the provincial government. In 2008, the club moved into private hands. Since that time, Perapat Thanit is taking care of the club, as president. Until that he used to follow the club as a supporter.

Perapat's idea was to form a local club, for the people in the area of Samut Prakarn. He talked to the responsible provincial authorities and were fallen on sympathetic ears. He started nearly from scratch, with having no stadium, not pitch for training and no budget. Important for him, that time and now, was to establish a link among the club, the club management and the supporters.

Samut Prakarns biggest success so far was wining the championship of the Central East Regional Division 2 last year. Eventually in the play offs, the club failed to gain promotion to the TPL Division 1 by just one point. Sitting on a third place with four games left in the 2010 season, Samut Prakarn is still in a position to make it to the play offs. However, the club is facing some serious problems. Beginning of this month, the club was informed by Division Central East authorities, that they are not allowed to use their current stadium for the rest of the season any longer.

Samut supporters @ Rajamangala (c) thai-fussball.deBeing under such pressure, Samut Prakarn supporters got the idea to host the home match vs Saraburi at the Rajamangala National Stadium. Both sides, club and supporters, stood together and made it happened.

Altogether, in the short history, the club was forced to use several stadiums as their home ground. Last year, games were played usually in Bang Mod. The stadium is owned by thaicom, and later on, the company signed a cooperation with Bangkok FC, which used to play at the same stadium. Samut Prakarn was forced to leave Bang Mod.

There is another stadium in Samut Prakarn, in the district of Bang Plee, but it is occupied already by another club. Thai Summit Samut Prakarn FC. A club who is playing in the Bangkok Division of the Regional League. That stadium is owned by the government, although Thai Summit invested some money already. Most likely it seems the "Fortress" is not welcome there, and most probably the authorities wouldn't gave permission to use it.

In this context, Samut Prakarn supporters started an unique project in Thai football. They founded a project with name „Prakarn Power". We talked with president Perapat Thanit about this project and the club.

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